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Delete - redundant!
Smartphones bouncing back from economic woes
Stephen Lawson, IDG News Service\San Francisco Bureau
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/05/03/urnidgns852573C400693880002577180071AE2D.DTL
(05-03) 16:26 PDT -- Smartphone shipments have recovered strongly from a slump during the economic downturn, with Nokia delivering the most units but Motorola showing the greatest gains among top vendors, research company Canalys said Monday.
There were 55.2 million smartphones shipped worldwide in the first quarter of 2010, up 67 percent from a year earlier, according to Canalys. It was the steepest increase since the end of 2007 and represented an accelerating recovery from an economic slump that held growth to single digits for most of 2009. Though the high-end, data-capable handsets fared better than the overall mobile-phone market in that period, the trend was a jolt for a hot new class of products.
The sales slowdown was caused in large part by weaknesses in the global economy, but also by other factors, including delayed introductions of key products, said Canalys analyst Chris Jones. The recent upswing came in part from strong shipments in countries where mobile technology is being adopted rapidly, such as China and India, he said.
But falling prices, increasing acceptance for corporate use, and the growing selection of applications available in various app stores all are helping to boost the market for smartphones around the world, Jones said. Carriers are helping the trend along because the more capable phones encourage the kinds of mobile activities, such as multimedia and social networking, that help them sell lucrative services.
"There seems to be no stopping the market now," Jones said.
Nokia continued to lead in shipment volume, partly by tapping into growth in India and China. The Finnish company has cultivated both markets for years by building up its brand with a wide variety of phones, Jones said. It delivered 21.4 million smartphones in the first quarter, up about 57 percent from a year earlier.
Though little known as a smartphone vendor in North America, Nokia is a strong player across the rest of the world with touch-screen models such as the 5230, 5800 and 5530. Nokia sells nearly as many units in Asia as in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, Jones said, and its greatest gains are coming in Latin America. But in North America, where it holds just 3.5 percent of the market, Jones sees no signs that Nokia is about to make significant gains.
Worldwide, Nokia held about 39 percent of the smartphone market, down from about 41 percent a year earlier. Research in Motion remained its closest rival, with just over 19 percent. Apple gained ground on both, its share growing to nearly 16 percent from just 11.5 percent a year earlier. Apple was helped by the expiration of exclusive carrier deals in some countries. Taiwan-based HTC, which makes several popular Android phones, was the fourth-biggest smartphone maker.
But Motorola showed the strongest gains in the quarter, with its worldwide shipments increasing almost 137 percent to 2.6 million. Its share of the market increased to 4.7 percent from 3.3 percent.
"That's quite a decent shift in market share for Motorola," Jones said. "It's looking pretty good for Motorola right now as they re-establish their brand in the market."
The ailing wireless pioneer, now in the midst of a reorganization, is making a comeback by focusing on Google's Android operating system, Jones said. For example, the Android-based Droid has become an important product for Verizon Wireless, which is heavily marketing it against rival AT&T's Apple iPhone.
Palm, which just agreed to be acquired by Hewlett-Packard, has been slowly gaining market share since the introduction of its WebOS platform last year, but it still holds only a 1.6 percent share worldwide, Jones said. The acquisition may help Palm gain ground by breaking into more markets outside North America, he said.
Touch screens have taken over the smartphone market, making up 59 percent of all the devices shipped in the fourth quarter, compared with just 34 percent a year earlier, according to Canalys. Devices that use keyboards held fairly steady at 27 percent, while less than 14 percent of smartphones now rely on a cell-phone keypad.
* MAY 3, 2010
New iPad 3G Sells Briskly in Debut
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703969204575220520801343634.html?mod=dist_smartbrief
Samsung Electronics Logs Record First-Quarter Profit
Published: Thursday, 29 Apr 2010 | 9:25 PM ET
By: Reuters
Samsung Electronics, the world's top maker of memory chips and flat screen TVs, reported record quarterly results, powered by robust demand for chips and flat-screen TVs.
Analysts expect Samsung, also the world's No.2 handset maker, behind Finland's Nokia, to beat its record first-quarter profit in the coming quarters, as it rides a broad global technology recovery.
Increased investments by Samsung and its rivals in the panel display and chip business, however, threaten to restart the industry's chronic oversupply cycle, and its weak footing in the hot smartphone market could also curb earnings growth.
Samsung is planning a record 19.3 trillion won spending in semiconductors until 2011 to raise output and has started placing equipment orders, as it fails to meet soaring customer demand, a local newspaper reported on Friday.
Samsung, which has said it would keep investment flexible and would consider raising this year's spending, declined to comment ahead of a earnings conference call starting at 0100 GMT.
"We are cautiously optimistic second-quarter earnings will improve, due to continued strong memory chip markets, favorable LCD panel demand and increased sales of set products such as mobile handsets and TVs," Samsung said in a statement.
Samsung competes with Sony and LG Electronics in flat-screen TVs and Toshiba and Hynix in semiconductors.
The South Korean technology powerhouse reported a 4.4 trillion won ($3.95 billion) operating profit in January-March, beating a consensus forecast for a 4.27 trillion won profit by 13 analysts from Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The result was also better than Samsung's median estimate of 4.3 trillion won in a range of 4.1 trillion to 4.5 trillion won given earlier this month.
The results improved from a 590 billion won operating profit a year earlier and 3.44 trillion won earned in October-December.
Sales rose to 34.6 trillion won from 28.7 trillion won a year ago.
By 0055 GMT, shares in Samsung, South Korea's biggest company and Asia's most valuable technology company with around $107 billion market value, rose 1.8 percent to 840,000 won. The stock is up 5 percent so far this year, broadly in line with the KOSPI's 4 percent rise.
Gattica, Unfortunately, the Typist is translating the conversation phonetically, and missing, or messing up, a bunch of the very important stuff. I noted about 10 areas where S/he messed up.
I really appreciate getting this content so quickly, but it would be fabulous if Janet Point, or someone on her staff, could proof it for accuracy before it gets released.
Gattica, (I heard Underlined as, "close such a deal")
Posted by: gatticaa Member Level Date: Thursday, April 29, 2010 4:27:22 PM
In reply to: None Post # of 778 Send a link via email Share on Facebook Tweet this post
Sure. You know, I think – we just spent some time out there with investors, talking to them. We actually had a good session last week with a number of folks. And I think that one of the things that we have got to do very effectively is deliver on LTE. Now we have every confidence on what we will, because it is – one, it is what we do for a living, I used the example sometime last week, but you know, no one asks Boeing if they are going to sell another plane, that is what they do, and I think we are very confident with respect to our LTE position. It could be though that the market just wants to see us not cross such a deal, and I think once we do that, and then I think that any question around LTE, even though I don't think there should be any, any question around that will largely go away. I think that that kind of addresses the sort of the handsets licensing business.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/201788-interdigital-inc-q1-2010-earnings-call-transcript
Data - Nice! Sent your summary out to all the folks I've got into IDCC.
Mobile networking looks to M2M apps for future growth
Apr 14, 2010 By: Richard Chirgwin
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com.au/articles/40068-Mobile-networking-looks-to-M2M-apps-for-future-growth-
Mobile networking looks to M2M apps for future growth
With mobile adoption already beyond saturation, both carriers and vendors are keen to identify the user communities and applications able to drive the next phase of industry growth. Hence the industry’s new enthusiasm for he once-neglected machine-to-machine (M2M) market.
Five years ago, M2M was considered the poor cousin of the mobile network. Extremely rapid growth in mobile phone sales kept carriers focused on more lucrative customers and traffic types. A device that carried with it all the overhead of account management and billing, but which generated few calls and comparatively little revenue had little to offer carriers.
However, in developed markets such as Australia, there are now more mobile devices than people, and even with a growing number of “multi-SIM” customers (for example, individuals who own both a mobile phone and a 3G data device), there’s concern that consumer mobile growth will reach a saturation plateau.
For Ericsson, this leads to its faith in a world of fifty billion devices, in which most will be carrying M2M traffic for applications like smart metering, industrial controls – and others that the company expects to develop once the networks, services and devices are more widely available.
The growth in both traffic and devices that would be driven by adoption of M2M technologies and applications would also underpin the rollout and business models needed to drive new network technologies such as LTE+ / EPC (Long Term Evolution, and the Enhanced Packet Core).
By changing the way the technology behaves, the combination of these technologies far improves the viability of M2M applications for network operators. In particular, the always-on nature of the LTE+/EPC network means sessions do not have to be initiated (or tracked for billing purposes) for discrete communications.
Sierra Wireless is also tracking the possibilities of the M2M market. Dieter Dutronc, Sierra’s senior VP of global marketing, says his company sees the M2M market as offering the opportunity of more balanced revenue streams.
Product Life Cycle
He also told SearchNetworking that it’s a market with a more stable and less frantic product life cycle.
“The mobile broadband consumer product market has very short product life cycle – about six to nine months. M2M product life cycles can be three-to-five years.”
M2M applications have also changed over recent years. The typical application of three to five years ago was typically based on low volumes of small messages, but as the networks have developed, so have the applications.
“There are now applications that consume more bandwidth,” Dutronc explained.
For example, mobile systems are now being used to monitor the condition of Caterpillar heavy machinery. As Sierra’s A/NZ country manager Malcolm Thom noted, the value proposition for a wireless monitoring application is greatly enhanced when the system is taking care of “three million dollars of kit”.
Another emerging M2M market is in vehicular applications, with vehicle manufacturers looking at everything from service information through to vehicles able to initiate emergency services calls in the event of an accident.
Most of the proposed M2M applications (although, as shown by the Caterpillar example, not all), are low-ARPU (average revenue per user) apps that have a huge potential base.
With the enablers available and increasingly in deployment, network operators have “learned how to tackle low ARPU, high revenue markets,” Dutronc said.
New Network Architecture
Since the new mobile technologies are at least in part behind the new willingness to embrace M2M applications, it’s worth looking in a little detail at what these technologies change.
One of the most profound changes is in the mobile backhaul architecture. Unlike today’s mobile networks, LTE+ assumes that it will have a pervasive fibre-based Ethernet network interconnecting the base stations.
Colin Goodwin, Ericsson’s broadband strategy manager, is unequivocal: “As you go forward, the most effective way to build LTE is using carrier Ethernet” to connect the base stations.
A gigabit Ethernet network massively increases the capacity available between base stations, he said. In the M2M context, this means high bandwidth M2M applications would be able to co-exist with the expected growth in high-bandwidth end user data applications (as is noted in research data from Cisco, in its Visual Networking Index, the mobile broadband network is mirroring the fixed network in exhibiting high growth in video traffic).
This is coupled with radio interfaces (the “air interface” of LTE) that can support higher capacity between base stations and devices – although the greatest benefit in end user bandwidth will await a reorganization of mobile spectrum so that carriers can get access to contiguous 20 MHz carriers rather than the often-fragmented spectrum tolerated by today’s 2G and 3G networks.
Where the “right” kind of spectrum is available – four contiguous 20 MHz radio channels, for example – Goodwin expects LTE+ to achieve gigabit peak throughputs by 2014 (although, as with all wireless technologies, user throughput will depend both on the contention within individual cells, as well as on the packages carriers choose to offer).
So, certainly in the longer term, future mobile networks will easily have the capacity for data users as well as for M2M applications.
(This is in addition to the 3000 April 28 and 29 Calls just purchased.)
INTERDIGITAL INC - Nasdaq: IDCC
Time & Sales most recent next page
Rec. Time Action Price Volume
11:24:26 AM Trade 29.16 400
11:24:26 AM Trade 29.15 500
11:24:26 AM Trade 29.15 300
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11:24:26 AM Trade 29.16 100
11:24:26 AM Trade 29.15 75000
11:24:18 AM Trade 29.16 100
11:24:18 AM Bid 29.15 900
11:23:49 AM Bid 29.15 600
11:23:42 AM Ask 29.16 200
11:23:39 AM Trade 29.16 100
This short trading is a farce.
On this dismal volume, it's just too easy for these guys to hit the Bid with 100sh bombs and drag the stock price into the Red.
This, in a Green market up 80 plus. Sheeeesh!!!
We need News.....Constant News (and some new analysts.)
May 16th, 9:31 EST
Look at that intra-day trading chart. The "boys" are flat-lining us at $27.70. We've been here for the last 3&1/2 hours. They're magicians when there's no "darn" volume. Sheeeesh!!!!
From CBS MarketWatch - Before the Bell
Wireless equipment giant Ericsson (ERIC) said it signed second- and third-generation frame agreements with Chinese operators China Mobile and China Unicom worth $1.8 billion in total. Under a $1 billion agreement, Ericsson will in 2010 provide China Mobile (CHL) with new radio bases and mobile technology. Under a separate $800 million deal with China Unicom (CHU) the Swedish company will build a faster 3G network.
jeffree - The ITM Calls total is "around" 8350, and the ITM Puts total is "around" 7040. (not counting today's trading.)
And since each one represents 100 shs, add two zeros to each total and it's a Bunch!
Glenny - Wouldn't that be wonderful.
jeffree - And here's their attack mode.
INTERDIGITAL INC - Nasdaq: IDCC
Time & Sales most recent next page
Rec. Time Action Price Volume
3:23:22 PM Trade 27.99 200
3:23:22 PM Ask 27.99 100
3:23:22 PM Bid 27.98 200
3:23:22 PM Trade 28 100
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3:23:22 PM Ask 28.01 200
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3:23:22 PM Ask 28.02 400
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3:23:22 PM Trade 28 100
3:23:22 PM Ask 28.03 400
3:23:22 PM Trade 28 100
3:23:22 PM Trade 28.01 100
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3:23:22 PM Trade 28.03 100
Nokia's Kallasvuo - On QCOM - "The companies did fight a long time in court, and now we see them as a potential partner."
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2010/tc20100316_708117.htm
Nokia's Kallasvuo: We Must "Move Even Faster"
The CEO of the world's No. 1 cell-phone maker discusses dealmaking, a partnership with Microsoft, and the pace of change at Nokia
By Arik Hesseldahl
Nokia is the global cell-phone leader, with sales of 329 million units in 2009. Yet when it comes to feature-packed smartphones in some markets, including the U.S., analysts say Nokia (NOK) is under threat from rivals Apple (AAPL), Research In Motion (RIMM), and Google (GOOG).
Case in point: Nokia's "Comes With Music" service, which adds music to the purchase price of a handset, was introduced in 2007 just as Apple's music-playing iPhone was gaining momentum. "Comes With Music" has failed to attract large numbers of users, according to Music Ally, a U.K.-based digital music research firm, even as iPhone demand has surged.
Nokia Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo spoke with Bloomberg BusinessWeek's Arik Hesseldahl on Mar. 16 about Nokia's plans for the U.S. market, its acquisition strategy, and an alliance with Microsoft (MSFT) to create mobile applications for businesses. He also addresses efforts to make Symbian, the operating system acquired by Nokia in 2008, more attractive to software developers.
What do you think of Nokia's prospects in the U.S. in 2010?
We have taken several steps to enhance and boost our position in the U.S. And that adds to the dynamics. One that hasn't gotten much attention is our cooperation with Microsoft in order to introduce and co-create enterprise applications on top of our Symbian operating system. This is a pretty big effort to become prominent in the enterprise segment.
What do you expect to deliver as a result of the cooperation with Microsoft this year?
It's more like 2011. We are starting to see certain benefits already. But it's really about 2011. We are not talking about only porting existing business applications and services on top of a mobile platform, but we are talking about co-creating as well.
The analyst Michael Gartenberg was recently quoted as saying, "Nokia failed to lead a changed market and has been forced into reacting to competitors instead of driving its own vision of the future." Is it a fair criticism?
If I think about the way we have led, for example in the area of turn-by-turn navigation, but I could expand that to cover building content, software, and services on top of the mobile device, and in that way moving up the stack, we have been more proactive here than anybody.
I think 2010 will turn out to be an extremely important year, when I believe we will be able to take to the marketplace some of the services concepts and content delivery mechanisms that we have invested in during 2008 and 2009. So, yes, we have to move even faster. We have to transform the company even faster. That's fair. But in fact I think we have shown quite a lot of progress here.
Are you likely to create a phone using the Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm (QCOM) anytime soon?
I cannot comment on that one. All I can say is that Qualcomm definitely is a potential partner going forward. The companies did fight a long time in court, and now we see them as a potential partner.
You've been acquisitive in recent years. Will you stand pat for now?
We will continue to acquire some when we need new skills and capabilities in certain markets. But I would say the major building blocks are in place.
What will happen with Palm (PALM)?
Overall if you look at the mobile devices industry, and the size and complexity of it, in the past it has been difficult for a smaller company to have a sustainable position … and the amounts you need to invest are big. In addition to innovation and quality, you need scale.
Is Nokia interested in acquiring Palm?
I cannot speculate.
How is "Comes With Music" working out?
It's fair to say it had a slow start in 2008. It has been gaining speed and traction, and now we have made that global. We just launched it in Russia, and the response has been extremely good. It's quite important to understand the local element.
Making "Comes With Music" happen in Russia means you have to have the local content. This is especially true in India. It takes a lot of time and effort to go country by country to get access to that content. In India, for example, we spoke to 130 rights holders to get an adequate amount of music on board, and there are not many companies I think that can make that kind of effort.
Symbian has a reputation of being difficult to develop for, which in turn makes it less attractive to developers. Have you tried to address that?
What we have done is build a development framework on top of Symbian which allows you to develop on many platforms at the same time. … This has gotten a lot of traction.
Hesseldahl is a reporter for Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
With our new Barcelona features, we should be right in the middle of this one. No?
Mobile Fees Under Pressure With Network Rollout
By KEVIN J. O'BRIEN
Published: March 15, 2010
BERLIN — The next generation of faster mobile networks is poised to lower costs for operators and potentially unleash a new price war in the industry in Europe.
As European operators prepare to install the networks, which use a technology called Long Term Evolution, or L.T.E., they are fighting to keep fees for connecting calls to other operators.
That system makes mobile calling in Europe particularly pricey, to the advantage of big operators with large bases of customers.
“Mobile voice calls and short text messages are some of the most expensive forms of data in the world,” said J. Scott Marcus, an analyst at WIK-Consult in Germany. “There is a debate in the industry over whether operators can justify the prices with L.T.E.”
Observers say the technological leap could pave the way in Europe for U.S.-style flat-rate calling plans to all networks.
The world’s largest operators agreed in February to devise a new technical standard for transmitting voice calls between competing L.T.E. networks, which would preserve Europe’s existing grid of regulated termination rates, the per-minute interconnection fees paid by callers. The fees range from 2 euro cents a minute in Cyprus to 15 cents in Bulgaria.
But the superior efficiency of L.T.E. networks will tend to minimize the overall cost of transmitting voice calls, as conversations are converted into tiny packets of 1s and 0s in a process similar to that used by Internet voice services like Skype that give away some Internet voice service free.
Operators, which generate about 80 percent of their revenue from voice services, want to hinder a new downward price spiral. Revenue from termination fees makes up 15 percent of an operator’s sales and profit, said Jacques de Greling, an analyst at Natixis, a Paris bank.
At the mobile industry’s annual convention in Barcelona, a group of the world’s biggest operators endorsed an industry effort to develop the new standard, called Voice over L.T.E., or VoLTE, by March 2011. The group includes Verizon Wireless and AT&T in the United States, Vodafone, Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom and Orange in Europe, NTT Docomo in Japan, and China Mobile.
The standard will define the arbitrary technical parameters operators use to interconnect L.T.E. calls, which is necessary to ensure that L.T.E. devices work in any country. VoLTE, however, is also being devised to function in the current system of termination rates.
Dan Warren, the technical director at the GSM Association, the London-based industry group that is coordinating the project, said the project’s participants — engineers from large and midsize global operators — had based their efforts on the existing European business model of termination rates.
“We have taken the existing commercial principles on the basis that we have to start somewhere,” Mr. Warren said. “We don’t expect L.T.E. coverage to be ubiquitous for some time.”
But some smaller operators are wary.
“By starting with this assumption, we are developing a standard that could make the extension of the termination-rate model a fait accompli,” said an executive at one of the operators that has signed on to support the VoLTE drive. He did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to speak for the group.
The executive said his company was officially backing the effort because it would eventually have to use whatever standard is developed.
“This is an ongoing debate,” said Erik Ekkudden, the vice president for technology and industry at Ericsson, the market leader in network equipment. “We have not seen any major signs of big changes coming in the billing regimes, but that of course could happen.”
Many smaller operators would rather adopt the billing regime used by Internet service providers and mobile operators in the United States, called “bill and keep,” which splits the costs of interconnection between the caller and person being called, eliminating additional costs for callers. The U.S. system has enabled flat-rate mobile plans and has promoted cellphone use.
Despite the push by large operators for an L.T.E. standard that would preserve their lucrative billing status quo, it is uncertain whether they will be able to extend the European system of termination rates into the L.T.E. era.
European regulators began questioning the necessity for termination rates in 2006. That year, operators like T-Mobile, France Télécom and Vodafone lobbied in Brussels against any change, arguing that it would penalize larger operators and hinder investments in new network technology.
But last year, the European Commission, seeking to encourage the greater use of mobile technology, raised pressure on the operators by adopting rules that would require countries to develop a uniform method of calculating an operator’s costs for delivering voice service when determining the termination rates charged in a country. The new rules are expected to reduce E.U. termination rates from a current average of 7 cents a minute to less than 2 cents by 2012.
But already, there are signs that the decline will be even more precipitous.
In January, the Belgian telecommunications regulator proposed lowering mobile termination rates to 1.07 cents by January 2013 from almost 9 cents now.
In Brussels, an advisory council made up of European national telecom regulators is scheduled to consider a plan in May to switch the European regime from termination rates to one akin to the U.S. system. Most operators remain opposed to the change. But given the rapid decline in mobile termination rates, such a changeover may be superfluous.
“We have serious doubts and reservations about the arguments supporting such a change,” said Eric Debroeck, the regulatory director at Orange, the mobile unit of France Télécom. “Termination rates are coming down in some cases sharply anyway.”
Investors seek signs of China Mobile 3G commitment
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/15/AR2010031500700.html
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China Mobile's 3G outlook will take center stage this week as China's three telecoms carriers begin to kick off quarterly results, with market focus on whether the nation's dominant player will turn up the volume in its low-key 3G roll-out.
China Mobile and its two rivals, China Unicom and China Telecom, spent $21 billion building out third generation (3G) mobile networks last year, following the long-awaited but much-delayed awarding of 3G licenses.
The trio signed up a combined 10 million 3G subscribers by the end of last year, with China Mobile accounting for about a third of those -- well below its overall position with a dominant 72 percent of China's mobile market.
Analysts will look to see whether China Mobile will get more serious about its 3G network, based on an untested homegrown technology called TD-SCDMA thrust upon it by Beijing.
"They probably need to do more to drive 3G growth," said BOC International analyst Allan Ng.
"They need to give more incentives for handset suppliers to come up with better products. Technically, it takes some time to sort things out. But if there are enough people working on it, things can move faster."
China Mobile was a darling of investors for years, enticing them with its dominant position in the world's biggest mobile market where total subscribers now number more than 700 million.
TEPID EARNINGS
But the company's growth has slowed to a crawl in recent quarters, and its price-to-earnings ratio now stands at a relatively modest 11 percent versus about 20 percent for Unicom and 16 percent for China Telecom.
Analysts expect China Mobile to report little change in quarterly earnings from a year ago, with a consensus forecast of 30.4 billion yuan ($4.45 billion), according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
That snail's pace growth would be similar to the third quarter, when China Mobile's earnings were up just 2.8 percent.
China Telecom, the smallest of the three carriers in the mobile market with about an 8 percent share, is expected to post a 10.7 percent rise in fourth-quarter profit, excluding one-time items from a year ago.
CONTINUED 1 2 Next >
Weekend iPad Pre-Order Estimate: 152,000 Sold
Jay Yarow | Mar. 15, 2010, 7:39 AM | 656
http://www.businessinsider.com/weekend-ipad-estimate-2010-3
The final iPad estimates for the weekend from the AAPL Sanity board say Apple saw 152,000 iPad pre-orders during opening weekend.
Philip Elmer DeWitt has the full breakdown of the data.
The estimates are made by looking at the order ID numbers and guessing from there.
If this is correct, the pace of sales slowed considerably throughout the weekend. These same people estimated that there was 61,000 iPads sold in the first 6 hours it was available.
At the current rate, Apple will sell 1 million iPads one week after it ships to stores.
Of course, these are best effort estimates. Apple could put out a press release today saying it sold 500,000. Until we get official word, treat these estimates accordingly.
Don't Miss: 10 burning questions about Apple's iPad ?
Nokia Predicts 10 Percent Growth For Mobile Phones In 2010
http://moconews.net/article/419-nokia-predicts-10-percent-growth-for-mobile-phones-in-2010/
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has improved the way it measures the global device market, including coming up with a better way to calculate the number of unlicensed and counterfeit products being sold in the market. Given that, Nokia went back and recalculated the industry’s overall performance last year and how it did comparatively.
Using the new methodologies, Nokia said 1.26 billion phones shipped in 2009, up from its original estimate of 1.14 billion. Because the market grew, and Nokia’s sales stayed constant, the handset maker’s share sank to 34 percent from a previous estimate of 38 percent. Nokia has also revised its expectations for 2010. It expects volumes to grow by a healthy 10 percent, which should be a welcome sign compared to a relatively flat 2009, but said it expects its market share to stay flat.
DR - Thanks! I'm signed in and waiting.
Anyone have a Phone # for listening in today? I can't bring up the IDCC WebSite. TIA
This news has not appeared yet on the Schwab Streamer!!!!
Schwab is showing 26.35 as today's high.
Re: the 10k reference - Here's the "interesting" Boenning & Scattergood sheet on their Investment Banking offerings:
http://www.boenningandscattergood.com/content/content.aspx?cid=4.1
For all types of companies, our investment banking professionals offer expertise in advisory and transaction services
View a complete list of investment banking capabilities and services our bankers provide below.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Public Offerings
Private Placements and Recapitalizations
Management Buyouts
Fairness Opinions
Mergers and Acquisitions
Whether your company is publicly traded or privately held, investment bankers at Boenning & Scattergood offer services for many types of merger and acquisition transactions including:
* Family business owners selling their business
* Partnerships and private equity firms selling ownership position in investments
* Companies divesting division or subsidiary
* Companies acquiring another company or division
* Public company merging with another public company
Because members of our team have owned companies or have previously served as CEOs and CFOs, we know first-hand many of the pressures our clients face. We make addressing these issues a principal role and function, allowing business owners to focus on day-to-day operations while our team confidentially handles the corporate finance process. In this way, we work to maximize value by accessing capital markets effectively and efficiently while providing ownership and management the time to maintain strong company performance.
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Apple May Put iPhone OS on Other Devices
Bringing the operating system to "new platforms" is the focus of an Apple job posting, which underscores the company's growing reliance on mobile devices
By Olga Kharif
Technology
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2010/tc20100225_313033.htm
Apple is showing its true mobile colors. The company is on the lookout for an engineer who can help get its mobile-phone software onto additional devices.
On Feb. 15, Apple (AAPL) posted an ad on its Web site for an engineering manager "to lead a team focused on bring-up of iPhone OS [operating system] on new platforms." Days later, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook called the company "a mobile device company," echoing remarks by Chief Executive Steve Jobs, who in January said "Apple is the largest mobile device company in the world."
The posting and remarks underscore Apple's growing reliance on devices that provide Web access and computing features for users on the go. In the three months ended Dec. 26, the iPhone and related products accounted for $5.58 billion, or 36% of total sales, up from 25% of revenue a year earlier. Apple also sells other mobile devices, including the iPod Touch.
An adaptation of the operating system used in Macintosh computers, the iPhone OS runs the iPhone, iPod Touch music player, and the forthcoming iPad tablet computer. In the future, analysts say, Apple may put the OS onto Web-connected TV machines and devices that help viewers watch 3D programming. The Cupertino (Calif.)-based company may also consider licensing the iPhone OS to outside cell-phone manufacturers. Apple has shipped more than 75 million devices based on the iPhone OS, which lets users download and run applications such as games and calendars sold at the Apple App Store. Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris declined to comment.
Web-Connected TV
Responsibilities for the sought-after engineer include "working closely with the hardware and custom silicon teams to bring-up new platforms and prototype systems." The term bring-up "typically refers to the final stages of a technology being brought to market," says Nick Corcodilos, a tech recruiter who runs the AskTheHeadhunter.com blog. The job posting was previously reported by TheInquirer.net.
Apple may embed the iPhone OS in a Web-connected TV, says Charlie Wolf, a senior analyst at Needham & Co. "Where Apple is noticeably almost absent is in the living room," Wolf says. "It represents the natural migration of the operating system. And it's going to be a big market."
Currently, Apple sells Apple TV, a set-top box that lets users buy and rent high-definition movies through its online iTunes Store. The $229 gadget, introduced in 2007, isn't yet a big source of revenue for Apple, executives say. Cook and Jobs have both called Apple TV a "hobby." Still, Apple will invest in Apple TV "because our gut tells us there's something there," Cook said at a Goldman Sachs (GS) conference on Feb. 23.
Demand for Web-connected home entertainment is on the rise. Wal-Mart (WMT) on Feb. 22 said it will acquire Vudu, a movie-downloading service that this year will be built into more than 150 products, including televisions. Last year, retailer Best Buy (BBY) said it will sell Netflix (NFLX) movies through certain Blu-ray disc players and offer Sonic Solutions' (SNIC) CinemaNow service through an array of electronic devices.
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OldDog, You're correct. Schwab is reporting the $.61 as a MISS of $.04 vs. Street concensus (which in our case is 1 out of 2 analysts reporting). They also report a MISS on Revenues from the concencus of $77.7 (also 1 high analyst)
Question - Do our existing licensees have access to the technology currently revealed at Barcelona?
Blackberry Maker RIM Warns of Bandwidth Crisis
Published: Tuesday, 16 Feb 2010 | 5:04 AM ET
Taking aim at rivals like Apple, BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion said on Tuesday that smartphone manufacturers must start developing less bandwidth-guzzling products or risk choking already congested airwaves.
As users abandon traditional cellphones for netbooks, wireless modems and feature-rich smartphones, like Apple's [AAPL 203.42 3.04 (+1.52%) ] iPhone, wireless data traffic has exploded and is threatening to saturate network capacity, RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis said.
Wireless carriers, especially in congested North American urban centers, are already showing signs of stress, with dropped calls and slower data transfer speeds.
"Manufacturers had better start building more efficient applications and more efficient services. There is no real way to get around this," Lazaridis said in an interview. "If we don't start conserving that bandwidth, in the next few years we are going to run into a capacity crunch. You are already experiencing the capacity crunch in the United States."
Lazaridis is taking this message to this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the mobile telecom industry's largest annual trade fair.
Industry executives and analysts are increasingly warning of an impending bandwidth crunch as users fall in love with the freedom of wireless. Unlike fiber optic cables, which boast enormous data-carrying capacity, wireless applications must all share the same, limited spectrum.
Smartphones already account for some 25 percent of mobile phones today, and could reach 50 percent within the next couple of years, according to market research company Nielsen.
At the same time, smartphones consume 30 times as much bandwidth as a traditional cellphone, with iPhones -- or "iHogs" as an analyst recently dubbed them in a report -- some of the worst offenders.
Mobile personal computers gobble about 450 times the amount of a typical cellphone, analyst Peter Misek at Canaccord Adams said in an Oct. 26, 2009 report.
Analysts have praised Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM for its relatively bandwidth-light BlackBerrys, which route most emails through the company's own servers. This is a legacy of earlier days when the company was first starting out and sought a faster, more secure mobile email service for its business customers.
Reports out in the past year say BlackBerrys are at least five times more efficient at email and attachment viewing than any other platform. On Internet browsing, they are three times more efficient than other carriers, according to a report by Rysavy Research released on Tuesday.
"That is pretty fundamental to a carrier as that means you can have three paying Blackberry browsing customers for every one other customer," Lazaridis said.
"That has a huge advantage for the carriers if you think about the many billions of dollars the carriers have invested over the last five years in spectrum auctions and infrastructure rollouts," he said.
RIM [RIMM 70.25 -1.08 (-1.51%) ] on Tuesday also announced the release of a promised new product for small- and medium-sized businesses. Its Blackberry Enterprise Server Express, software that wirelessly synchronizes BlackBerry smartphones with Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Windows small business server, will be available free from March, RIM said.
Blackberry Maker RIM Warns of Bandwidth Crisis
Published: Tuesday, 16 Feb 2010 | 5:04 AM ET
By: Reuters
Taking aim at rivals like Apple, BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion said on Tuesday that smartphone manufacturers must start developing less bandwidth-guzzling products or risk choking already congested airwaves.
As users abandon traditional cellphones for netbooks, wireless modems and feature-rich smartphones, like Apple's [AAPL 200.38 ] iPhone, wireless data traffic has exploded and is threatening to saturate network capacity, RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis said.
Wireless carriers, especially in congested North American urban centers, are already showing signs of stress, with dropped calls and slower data transfer speeds.
"Manufacturers had better start building more efficient applications and more efficient services. There is no real way to get around this," Lazaridis said in an interview. "If we don't start conserving that bandwidth, in the next few years we are going to run into a capacity crunch. You are already experiencing the capacity crunch in the United States."
Lazaridis is taking this message to this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the mobile telecom industry's largest annual trade fair.
Industry executives and analysts are increasingly warning of an impending bandwidth crunch as users fall in love with the freedom of wireless. Unlike fiber optic cables, which boast enormous data-carrying capacity, wireless applications must all share the same, limited spectrum.
Smartphones already account for some 25 percent of mobile phones today, and could reach 50 percent within the next couple of years, according to market research company Nielsen.
At the same time, smartphones consume 30 times as much bandwidth as a traditional cellphone, with iPhones -- or "iHogs" as an analyst recently dubbed them in a report -- some of the worst offenders.
Mobile personal computers gobble about 450 times the amount of a typical cellphone, analyst Peter Misek at Canaccord Adams said in an Oct. 26, 2009 report.
Analysts have praised Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM for its relatively bandwidth-light BlackBerrys, which route most emails through the company's own servers. This is a legacy of earlier days when the company was first starting out and sought a faster, more secure mobile email service for its business customers.
Reports out in the past year say BlackBerrys are at least five times more efficient at email and attachment viewing than any other platform. On Internet browsing, they are three times more efficient than other carriers, according to a report by Rysavy Research released on Tuesday.
"That is pretty fundamental to a carrier as that means you can have three paying Blackberry browsing customers for every one other customer," Lazaridis said.
"That has a huge advantage for the carriers if you think about the many billions of dollars the carriers have invested over the last five years in spectrum auctions and infrastructure rollouts," he said.
RIM [RIMM 71.33 --- UNCH (0) ] on Tuesday also announced the release of a promised new product for small- and medium-sized businesses. Its Blackberry Enterprise Server Express, software that wirelessly synchronizes BlackBerry smartphones with Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Windows small business server, will be available free from March, RIM said.
Jim, Here's a little more detail about what's coming up in Barcelona,
InterDigital Features Innovations for Tomorrow's Network of Networks at 2010 Mobile World Congress
Demonstrates Bandwidth-Enhancing Technologies in Collaboration with Industry Partners
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InterDigital, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDCC) today announced it will showcase advanced technologies for the next generation of wireless devices and networks during the 2010 Mobile World Conference in Barcelona. InterDigital's solutions support more efficient wireless networks, a richer multimedia experience, and new mobile broadband capabilities. Focused on the evolving "network of networks," the company will demonstrate innovations in spectrum optimization, cross-network connectivity and mobility, and intelligent data delivery techniques. For several of these demonstrations InterDigital is collaborating with forward-thinking industry partners, including GoldSpot Media, Intrinsyc Software, HelloSoft and Attila Technologies.
"As a long-standing contributor to the evolution of mobile broadband, we anticipated many years ago that the popularity of mobile data would saturate traditional wireless networks," commented William J. Merritt, President and Chief Executive Officer, InterDigital. "Our team is addressing the emerging bandwidth challenge through ongoing advancements in 3G and LTE, as well as a suite of fundamental innovations that take wireless to the next level. To complement our internal research and development, we also have assembled a number of relationships with technology leaders within the wireless eco-system and across the broadening domain of converged devices, networks, and services worldwide."
During the event, the company will host live technology demonstrations that offer previews into what may be in store for the future of mobile broadband:
-- Next Generation Cellular: advanced network topologies and spectrally
efficient air interface solutions for LTE-advanced and beyond - uniform
coverage and peak performance;
-- Bandwidth Aggregation: cognitive radio techniques for aggregating
multiple and heterogeneous bandwidth sources - bandwidth on demand;
-- Device Mobility: seamless mobility when roaming across different
networks - optimal Quality of Experience;
-- Media Mobility: intelligent data optimization and seamless multimedia
transfers across devices and networks - economic content delivery across
networks;
-- M2M Connectivity: architectures for M2M ubiquity and converged gateway -
effective communications across anything, anytime, anywhere.
If we're reading WM right re: our surprises in Barcelona, we should be added to this "solution" list by next weekend.
Profiting From Wireless Data Traffic
by: Neil George February 14, 2010 | about: PWAV / RVSN / ALLT / ZTCOF.PK
http://seekingalpha.com/article/188479-profiting-from-wireless-data-traffic?source=email
The shutdown of iPhone (AAPL) sales in New York City during the Christmas holidays is just the beginning of the wireless data jam. But that doesn't have to be a problem for you; just invest in the companies that are going to make it possible for iPhones, Blackberries (RIMM), Androids (GOOG), Palms (PALM) and every other smart phone to actually work.
Just as companies were trying like crazy to push sales of gadgets and gizmos during the holidays, AT&T (T) decided to shut down any new sales of one of the most popular of all consumer products: the iPhone.
It happened just as folks that had some extra time off and holiday cash went to order a new iPhone - which for now is still running solely on the AT&T network. The company put a hold on sales and, reportedly, registrations for anyone based in the New York metropolitan area. The news of the restriction stayed neither local nor low key as plenty of area techies quickly began to make their ire known to the media.
After two days of silence, AT&T admitted that sales had been suspended and, in turn, announced that iPhones were once again ok to be bought and registered - even if the customers were in the five boroughs of the Big Apple.
AT&T was a bit sheepish at discussing the issue - saying only that it was part of a marketing changeover in promotions. But behind the scenes, the company has been noting that iPhones have been stressing their wireless data networks, causing major headaches for the company - not to mention their customers.
And AT&T isn't alone as other major wireless companies outside of the US with deals to sell and service iPhones, including O2 in the United Kingdom, which is part of Telefonica, have gone public with announcements that iPhones have become such hogs of wireless network systems that the phone companies can't keep up.
Wireless Traffic Jams
Even if you aren't an iPhone user, the wireless network jams either caused or intensified by these smartphones are making owners of other data-using phones, such as Blackberries, experience failures. Personally, as a heavy user of my Blackberry as well as data cards for laptops and other devices, I've experienced the woes over and over again, particularly in major US cities such as New York, and even more so in San Francisco.
In addition, you might have also heard or read that one of the year's biggest Christmas gadget success stories was Amazon's (AMZN) Kindle electronic book reader. Guess what makes the Kindle work at downloading books? Yep, AT&T's wireless data network. And if iPhones and Blackberries are clogged up and shut down the same thing happens to Kindles.
And the over-stressed data networks are also used by an ever-increasing number of wireless data products ranging from the surge in netbook computers as well as data cards for traditional laptops to even several of the newer GPS navigation systems including those installed as original equipment in cars offered by manufacturers such as Ford Motors (F), Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
All told, usage and demand for wireless data services is surging beyond what most would have planned for just a few years ago. In fact, according to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), data use has soared by over 700 percent in just the past four years alone. And the FCC is projecting average growth in demand running at over 130 percent each year - even without any new developments or new products.
So, as investors there must be some money to be made out of all of this.
How NOT to Make Wireless Profits
The challenge though is to get past the usual suspects of Wall Street to find the companies behind the scenes that will be making all of the bits and pieces to profit from this huge growth in wireless data.
Making a bet on AT&T (T) or Verizon (VZ) isn't the smart move; with the exception of their heavy cash-paying minibonds (AT&T's trades under the symbol KTBB, while Verizon's trades under the symbol HYY). For the near term, these companies will be facing plenty of critics and complainers, and heavy capital expenditures as well. That's not the sort of environment that makes for soaring stock prices.
At the same time, there are plenty of gurus out there pushing cell-tower companies. But again, these are the companies under contract with the major telecoms and they'll face the same capital investment issues - which, again, aren't conducive to stock performance.
Or, perhaps we could look at the major equipment companies that will get the contracts for new circuits, switches and chips? Unfortunately, companies such as Qualcomm (QCOM), ST Ericsson (ERIC), Siemens (SI) and other big names still have plenty of other challenges, and wireless data is only a part of their product mix.
Where to Find Wireless Winners
This is where my concept of "nibblers" comes in.
Nibblers are often found in the world of major technology changes. Whether it be in agriculture, the environment, energy tech or, as in this case, communications - big changes can mean big business and big profits.
And when it comes to improving performance for data-hogging iPhones as well as every other smarter phone, netbook, laptop and numerous other newer devices - having a better network is going to be the key.
This is why even the major rivals with night and day differences in how their networks run - AT&T and Verizon - are joining together to work on a common new network.
Rather than going down the path of limited use of CDMA or the current form of Universal Mobile Communications System (UMTS) with major systemic challenges - the solution is to move to what is termed LTE or Long Term Evolution, which is based on the underpinnings of GSM (Global System for Mobile communications).
Also referred to as 4G, this next level will provide for easier handling of more data - particularly in mobile devices - with more efficiency and hand-offs from tower to tower. In addition, LTE is also one of the better solutions for utilizing existing spectrum not just for urban areas - but also for rural needs, rivaling a much more limited technology for fixed devices known as WiMax.
The leaders that have designed and built the systems needed to run LTE are all ramping up. For not only are the big telecoms needing their stuff, but there are also some other developments beyond the current data crunch that will speed up LTE's rollout.
First, the government is finally beginning to ramp up the provisions of legislation passed and signed by the former president in 2005 providing support for rural broadband data access. With limitations on fiber and other cable as well as satellite transmission, wireless data systems fit the bill quite well for Federal dollars.
Second, the biggest phone company - AT&T - wants to get out of the traditional phone business. And get this: AT&T is actually pushing and lobbying the US Federal Communications Commission to end traditional land line phones. AT&T wants to end providing traditional phone service and in turn wants to only offer VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phones, which works by turning voice into data, further crowding existing systems.
Third, right now roughly only 10 percent of the spectrum that can carry current and LTE data and VOIP phone traffic is actually allocated for these services. Most is either not being used - yet controlled by the FCC - or is being used under license by broadcasters, satellite media companies, and by the US government.
Ramping up a common wireless data network for communication that would provide everything from simple phone calls... to streaming video... to all of those thousands of Apple Apps... as well as billions of Blackberry emails... would solve a lot of the nation's challenges.
Four Wireless Network Stocks to Nibble On
Now for the nibblers in the forefront of LTE that I want you to take a peek at.
Many of the leaders are newer to the market or are not yet publicly held. They're founded and staffed by many of the veterans of the big tech companies, but now are fully focused on their finely honed market of making the stuff to make LTE work.
On the closely-held side, you will be seeing more on the likes of WaveSat and Sequoia Communications, as well as Altair Semiconductor. But on the public side there is a selection of companies worth poking around and eventually nibbling at for your portfolio.
First you need antennas that will work with both the current systems and the newer LTE. One of the leaders isPowerwave Technologies (PWAV). This company is burning through cash, investing and developing its technologies, but with cash and capital it continues to ramp up its capabilities and continues to book current and pending contracts.
Second, after you get the antennas up you'll need the base station to process and run the network. One of the primary base station developers is Israeli-based Radvision (RVSN). This company focuses on converting and processing both voice and data into transmission-able bits that make networks actually work. Without this - no iPhone or Blackberry would work beyond being a nice paperweight.
No debt, lots of cash and eager customers at the ready.
Third in the set up of the new network will be the actual switching and processing of voice and data including all of the streaming videos that iPhone users love and demand ever more of.
One of the leaders in this market is Allot Communications of Israel (ALLT). (A second, Starent Networks of Massachusetts, was just purchased by Cisco Systems (CSCO)). Allot has soaring contract sales and no debt.
And the fourth area of need to facilitate AT&T's desire for VOIP on LTE is the company that focuses specifically on the needed technology. Based in Shenzhen China, ZTE trades both on the Shenzhen exchange under the symbol 000063 as well as in Hong Kong under symbol 763, and of course over the counter under the symbol [[ZTCOF.PK]] in the US.
One to watch for a pending eventual listing would be another China-based tech company - Huawei Technology. I'll be watching this one first hand and will keep you informed.
Disclosure: No positions
Five Trends Influencing the CIO Smartphone Agenda
Which is more important, the data or the device? MobileIron's Ajay Mishra tackles this and other key smartphone questions for CIOs now.
Comments
By Ajay Mishra, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer, MobileIron
Tue, February 02, 2010 — CIO —
http://www.cio.com/article/528713/Five_Trends_Influencing_the_CIO_Smartphone_Agenda?source=rss_all
I've spent most of 2009 meeting with CIOs and their IT organizations to understand their concerns and challenges about managing and securing mobile phones. In my conversations with people across the country and across industries, it became clear that smartphones are now finally on the CIO agenda and, in fact, one of the most difficult topics:
• There are a variety of different platforms;
• Employees are bringing their own phones to work;
• Applications can compromise security; and
• The monthly costs are unpredictable.
What they told me again and again is that IT is losing control of smartphones and yet retaining all the accountability. This is what keeps them up at night.
[10 Startups to Watch in 2010]
The good news is that companies are shifting their thinking. They've realized that what worked for laptops does not work for smartphones and that they need to develop very different management strategies. Here are the five trends CIOs across the country and across industries are considering as they develop an enterprise mobility plan.
1. The smartphone has become the platform-of-choice for the knowledge worker
It's no longer a question of whether laptops or smartphones are the platform of choice for employees. Technology has advanced hugely in the last 18 months and employees are embracing a pocket-sized device that delivers voice and wireless email with a PC-class browser. Smartphones are the device that an employee never leaves at home, the default 'go-to' device. This creates a swath of new, powerful end-points for which the CIO has to manage risk and leverage innovation.
2. The CIO is now a virtual wireless operator
When a CIO has 50,000 employees using smartphones, whether they like it or not, they have become a mini service provider. This challenge is further complicated because smartphones are not uniform: there are multiple operating systems and multiple actual operators to be managed. To be effective, CIOs need the same types of tools and technology as a cellular operator. They want technology that lets them work at a network level not a device level and they want to get in front of potential problems by tracking usage and costs in real-time. Finally, like any service provider, they want to minimize helpdesk calls and proactively monitor quality.
3. Data is more important than the device
When it comes to phones a device can be replaced but the data is priceless. As a result CIOs are recognizing a need to shift their thinking from device management to data management. Think of it as the "MP3 school" of smartphone management. Employees use their phones like an MP3 player; they use them to access data that is stored somewhere independent of the device. Smartphones have become a broad-ranging gateway for data access, which underscores the need to secure them.
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Jobs says iPhone will beat Android
http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/01/31/jobs.says.iphone.will.beat.android/
More details have emerged from the post-iPad Apple town hall meeting hosted by Steve Jobs. In addition to setting up Android as a main rival, Jobs promised "aggressive updates" to the iPhone that would beat Android. He also teased that the next iPhone would be an "A+" update.
On Macs, the MacRumors tipster says Jobs expects the 2010 lineup to "take Apple to the next level" but that Blu-ray isn't likely to play a significant part. The software to support the HD movie disc format is a "mess," he said, and Apple is only likely to start adding Blu-ray drives when there's true mass market adoption. Those that want to support Blu-ray have to support advanced copy protection systems like AACS that require more effort to implement than DVD's CSS encryption.
The Apple co-founder also indirectly confirmed some rumors by noting that the Lala acquisition was for the iTunes team and stressed that the iPad is on the level of the iPhone and Mac in terms of significant product launches.
By Electronista Staff
* Jobs: Google's "Don't Be Evil" motto is "bullsh*t"
* Apple to hold internal 'town hall' iPad meeting
* Android 7X more popular than iPhone for free ringtones
* Google confirms Android 2.0.1 update
* Sprint to update Hero, Moment with Android 2.1
* Archos 5 finally gets Android 1.6 update
* iPhone, Droid make large gains in online share
Recent Articles
* Acer intros 120Hz LCD with 3D support
* NEC rolls pro 24-inch desktop LCD
* Microsoft preps SideWinder X4 gaming keyboard
* Acer: no plans to chase after iPad
* Microsoft to sell 250GB Xbox upgrade drive in Japan
* Nokia drops phone prices to fend off Apple, Samsung
* Samsung produces 30nm, low-power DDR3 RAM
* Wacom puts out first wireless Intuos tablet
* Chinese cloner says it may sue Apple over iPad
* Amazon cedes to Macmillan with Apple looming
* Stephen Colbert shows iPad at the Grammys
Here's the BlackRock inc. filing
http://xml.10kwizard.com/filing_raw.php?repo=tenk&ipage=6723193
OT 1 other stock I'm in (SNTS)also had a BRock filing.
http://xml.10kwizard.com/filing_raw.php?repo=tenk&ipage=6723580
FWIW - They are in litigation with PAR Pharma. The judge has already rendered a decision last Aug that PAR infringed after a Markman hearing in SNTS favor. And, the 3 month period for determining Validity and Enforceability ends on 2/3/10. Should be fun.
JimLur, if this is too off topic......pls delete.
Your trade is showing. Bid now 25.41, Ask 26.30
Apple IPhone With New Camera May Be Out By June, Goldman Says
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aXBqtMirbD4E&pos=12
By Tim Culpan and Stephen Engle
Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc.’s latest iPhone will probably be available as early as June, include a more advanced camera, and may feature a touch-sensitive casing, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analyst Robert Chen said in an interview, without identifying who gave him the information.
“Apple’s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone,” said Taipei-based Chen, a member of Asia’s top-ranked technology hardware research team. The handset will feature a new plastic casing similar to that used for Apple’s touch-panel Magic Mouse released last year, he said.
“We’re not going to comment on rumors and speculation,” said Steve Dowling, an Apple spokesman.
Upgrading to a 5-megapixels camera will bring the handset into line with that offered by Google Inc.’s Nexus One which was released last week, Chen said. Apple, creator of iPod music players and Mac computers, got 23 percent of its sales from iPhones in the September quarter, trailing only laptops as a source of revenue, according to Bloomberg data.
The next iPhone will go into production as early as April and be available to consumers in June or July, Chen said. The handset may include an updated version of the iPhone Operating System as part an overhaul of Apple’s applications store, he said.
Robert Chen is a member of Goldman’s Asia Technology Hardware team lead by Henry King which topped the 2009 Institutional Investor rankings.
Magic Mouse, a computer mouse released in October, has a touch-sensitive solid plastic shell that replaces mechanical buttons. The technology may be replicated in the new iPhone to offer touch-sensitive features on the rear of the handset, Chen said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Culpan in Taipei at tculpan1@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: January 13, 2010 21:58 EST
The trade at the close that Sank the price - See 4:00:02
INTERDIGITAL INC - Nasdaq: IDCC
Time & Sales most recent next page
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4:38:47 PM EST - Friday, January 8, 2010 - data is delayed 20 minutes
New Short Sale Rules Imminent
Source: Traders Magazine
By Peter Chapman
January 7, 2010
New short sale rules are on the way.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, after wrestling with the issue for nearly a year, is expected to adopt a price-test rule for short sales this month. Also, the U.S. Congress is likely to add at least three new short sale rules to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as part of its overhaul of financial services regulation.
Sources tell Traders Magazine that the SEC is close to reinstating restrictions on traders who want to sell stock short. The Commission struck the nearly 70-year old uptick rule from the books in 2007, but proposed several possible replacements last year in the wake of heavy pressure to do so from the American public and the Congress.
"There are pretty strong indications that there will be some form of a price test adopted this month," said one DC-based attorney who did not want his name disclosed.
It is not known which one of the proposed rules will become law, but the betting is on the so-called "alternate uptick rule" proposed by the SEC last August. The rule would require traders who want to short stock to do so by posting an offer at least 1 cent above the best bid. Traders could not short by hitting the bid, the faster of the two selling techniques.
The alternate uptick rule was first proposed by a group of four exchange operators last spring and includes the option of a circuit breaker. If a circuit breaker test was also adopted, short selling would only be restricted if a given stock started falling dramatically--by 10 percent or so over the previous days' closing price.
Most trading houses are opposed to any new rules, seeing them as unnecessary. Still many are resigned to the inevitability of a new rule. Most hope the SEC will include a circuit breaker test with any rule it adopts.
The SEC would not comment for this article.
Much of the pressure on the SEC to reinstate a price-test rule came from Congress. Senators Ted KAUFMAN, D-Del., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., kicked things off with a bill last March that would've forced the SEC to bring back the uptick rule. Now Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., is driving the agenda.
As part of H.R. 4173, the "Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009," the sweeping overhaul of regulation of the financial services industry, Congressman Frank has added a little noted amendment targeting short sellers.
The so-called Managers Amendment, which only became public in December, would add three new rules to the '34 Act. The first would require every institutional investment manager that shorts stock to disclose its short positions to the SEC every week, much as these organizations disclose their long positions every quarter.
The SEC would then be required to make the information public every month. The amendment does not direct the regulator to disclose the identity of the short seller. It did however leave room for the SEC to provide "additional information."
If the SEC did decide to disclose the identity of the short seller, "that would seriously affect what people do," Ed Johnsen, a partner with Winston & Strawn, said.
The SEC instituted a similar rule mandating disclosure for one year between summer 2008 and summer 2009 before letting it expire. It then said it was working with the nation's exchanges to come up with a disclosure plan.
The second amendment would add a clause to the Act that makes it illegal for someone to effect a "manipulative short sale of any security." In addition, the clause prods the SEC to add its own rules enforcing the new amendment.
The third amendment could potentially have the biggest impact on short sellers. It requires broker-dealers to instruct their customers that they have the right to refuse to loan their stocks for short-selling purposes.
Because stocks sold short are typically borrowed from investors, a refusal on the part of the shareholder to lend would make it impossible for traders to effect a short sale.
Most stocks however are owned by institutions, while the anti-short selling backlash has come mostly from the American public. Large institutions make money lending their securities and so far have shown little appetite for eliminating the practice.
Where the new regulation may have an impact is on less liquid, hard-to-borrow stocks owned by the retail public. "There may be certain short selling that can't get done because the stocks that had been hard to borrow are now harder to borrow," Johnsen said.
The Frank amendment is part of the House version of the bill. The Senate is still working on its version. The two must ultimately be reconciled before the bill becomes law. While it is possible the Frank amendment could be dropped from the final bill, Johnsen, for one, believes that to be unlikely.
http://kaufman.senate.gov/press/in_the_news/news/?id=09ee31e4-5056-9502-5d50-2242f987d875